Telephone desk-stand.



J. A. BIRSFIELD. TELEPHONE DESK STAND.

APPLICATION FILED 00124, 1906.

Patented Aug. 17, 1909.

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APPLICATION IILED 001'. 24, 1906.

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UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JULES A. BIRSFIELD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO ALFRED STROMBERG, OF

' CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TELEPHONE DESK-STAND.

T 0 all whom it mag concern:

Be it known that I, JULns A. BIRSFLELD, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Telephone Desk- Stands, of which the following is a specification.

lily invention pertains to telephone desk stands of the portable type, and has as its object the production of a neat, strong and simple device for the purpose described.

The points of novelty in the desk stand of my invention are a transmitter hinge joint of sightly construction and providing at the same time a positive hinge and an ample clearance for flexible conductors passing through the hinge from the transmitter to the terminals of the desk stand; a switch hook mechanism of strong and simple construction and locked in position in a novel and reliable manner; a hook switch of sim ple and durable design; an adjustment between the switch hook and the hook switch of reliable design and comprising as a part thereof automatic locking means whereby an adjustment is automatically retained; and an improved method of applying to the bottom of the desk stand a cushion for protect-ing the furniture upon which the desk stand may be placed in service.

This specification is accompanied by five figures in which Figure 1 shows the assembly of the complete desk stand in sectional view; Fig. 2 shows elevation of the transmitter hinge joint; Fig. 3 shows sectional view of the transmitter hinge joint; Fig. 1 shows plan of the switch hook and mounting; Fig. 5 shows elevation of the switch hook and mounting.

The assembly of the desk stand as a whole consists of the cap casting 1 bearing the transmitter 2 and the switch hook 3 with its mounting block 4:; into the cap piece 1 is screwed the tubular shaft 5, to the lower end of which is brazed the shoulder 6. The sheet metal base dome 7 surrounds the tube 5 and is locked in place by the lock nut 8 which also clamps in place a spider 9 surrounding tube 5. The purpose of the spider 9 is to provide mounting support for the insulating table 10 hearing the hook switch and cord terminals of the desk stand; the assembly is completed by placing the bottom Specification of Letters Patent.

' Application filed October 24, 1906.

Patented Aug. 1'7, 1909.

Serial No. 340,254.

plate 11 and its cushion rim 12, the bottom plate 11 being held in position by the strut 13, between the bottom plate 11 and the table 10.

The transmitter 2 is held upon the cap piece 1 by the improved hinge joint of constructien which will be understood from Figs. 2 and 3. The hinge joint consists of three parts first, a fixed or base part, being in this instance the cap piece 1; second, a movable part 101; and third, a clamping member, 102; a friction washer 103 also forms an essential feature of the complete hinge. The casting 1, which is the base casting of the hinge joint, terminates in an annular lip 10% screw threaded externally. At two points in this annular lip and diametrically opposite each other are semicircular notches 105. The second member of the hinge 101 is spherical in that portion of its external surface which is assembled adjacent to the part 1; the two projecting lugs 106 are adapted to engage the notches 105 of the part 1, and are cylindrical in their engaging surfaces, with radius approximately that of the notches 105 so that a smoothly working hinge is obtained. The spherical surface of the part 101 is concentric with the center of the cylinder of the lugs 106 and therefore is revolved upon its center when the part 101 is revolved upon the axis of the lugs 106. The clamping ring 102 is spherical in that portion of its interior surface which engages the part 101, and it is further provided with internal screw threads to cooperate with the screw threads of the lip 10%. The outer extension 107 of the part 101 is sufliciently small to pass through the clamping member 102 and assembly thus is made by placing the part 101 in position upon the part 1 with lugs 100 in notches 105, and then passing the clamping ring 102 over the extension 107 and screwing it in place upon the lip 104. to clamp parts 1 and 101 together. Part 102 is knurled at 108 to facilitate the assembly, and part 1 is knurled at 109 to improve the appearance of the finished detail. To secure a smooth hinge movement with uniform friction throughout its range, the leather washer 103 is placed within the clamping part 102 before that clamping part is assembled in position.

To mount the transmitter 2 upon the extension 107, the extension is drilled and tapped and a screw 110 having a broad fiat head is passed through a perforation in the case of the transmitter 2' and screwed 'into the extension 107 clamping the transmitter 2 firmly in position. To give the transmit- 5 ter a greater rigidity than would 'besecured by mere screw pressure, lugs upon the face of the extension 107 engage corresponding depressions or perforations in the case of transmitter 2, thus i-0\' i'd-ing aii' in crea'sed 'esistance to prevent the turning of the tr aiiS'niitterQ 'upon'the extension 107. -To provide for passing insulatedelectrical con- 'ductors tothe working electrical portions of the transmitter 2, the screw 110 isbored at 111. The part lis cast hollowat 112. Passage for conductors thus is provided through the channel 1 11 a ndthe ehajnnel 112, the openingthrough'thehinge jo'iiitat 105 and 106 bei'ng of *ainple" dimension to prevent crowding ortwisting or' unduly short bends in the "insulated conductors either in the "process of passing them into position or by reason" ofthe opei'a'tioii"of 'the hinge in service.

" 5 The'hook 3'is pivoted in the cylindrical blocl'r e 'by the pivot a1. The cap piece 1' is drilledoii thes'ide adjacent to the hook of *prdper diaiiieter to receive the cylindrical "block 1, and on'the side remote from'the 3 "liook is' recessed of proper diameter to retenet-heprojection 12 of the block 4, thus "deterinining the axis upon which the block t shall' 'be maintained. The block 4 atthe point 43 is cut with a fiat surface and at the "*"p'o'int ai'is'c'ut with a 'notch having a flat jbettoin corre's 'ao'nding with the surface "YVl'i'e n' "assembled by placing it in the cap piec'e1,'the notch 14 registers with the upper "'end'of th'etube 5 as does also the flat face 4E3,

1a "g 'nd when the tube 5 is screwed home it clai'i'ips thehlock a firml'y in the notch 44' and "upon the'face' 43, holding it rigidly and preventing 'rota'tioii upon its axis. The lug 45 "'leftby thenot ch a l is further precaution 45 against the withdrawal of the block lincase fof slight accidentallooseningof the tubular shaft 5. The link 31 extends from the hook 3 downward to transmit the inotion'of the hook tothe hook switch. 'The'hook switch fioiicon'sistsof four electrical contact parts, 32,

'34i"aiid' 35, of which the part 35 is a spring ofsuiiicient sti'engthto overcome the ""parts"33 and 3% and to raise the hook 3 when l H I ,i, i t V "the telephone receiver 1s not hungupon the 11 1;. When the, telephone "receiver ishung i poiithc hook .3, the hook is depressed, the

"i'ng'contact of with34: and of 35 with 33 and'inak'ing contact of'3'5 with 32. The adjiistii'ieiit of'the switch provided by a nut 311-iiponthe lower threaded end of the link 81; The nut 311 is of insulating material to prevenhelectiical contact of theswitch' part strut '13 attached to the table 10.

scribed.

of the desk stand. The nut 311 carries the washer 312,- giving metall1c bearing service upon the switch part The switch part- 35 is formed up at 351 giving an annular sur 'tace uponwhich the washer 312 bears. The washer 312 is mechanically rigid with the nut 311;. and has a rib formed-in it ;at 313,

the annular surface 351 of the part 35 hav- 'i'iig acorresponding notch. Tne adjustn'icnt of the switch with reference to the hook 3 is obtained by turning nut" 3'11 iiponitsscrew threads untilit" is approximately in the {proper position upon the link 31,111 this position tlieTspring switch; part 35) presses upon the washer '312 and thei'ib 313, engaging the notch ot the "hearing si'irface' 351 will prevent anyiins'erewing motion 'of the "nut 3'11 upon the link 31, thus maintaining perinanently theswitcl'i adjustment given it. 1 The itcli parts are mounted upon the insulatphone line, these terminals, forming no novel part of my inveiitioin'being omitted to avoid confusion 0f detail in the drawing.

The bottom of the desk stand is finished by closing itwith' the'bottoin plate 11, carrying *the cushion-riiig-CLQ. The cushion'ring 12 consi set a strip of resilient material such as apieceof round leather belting, a saw cut being made into one side-of the'belting to a pi'edetern'iined distance from r the opposite "surface.

'ihe're'silient strip then is-cut' to proper length, wrappedaroundthe bottom plate 11 with the sawcut embracing the edge of the platc,'and the-ends of the strip are iglued 'toge't'her holding it-firmly upon the plate. 1 The"outside=diinension of the bottom plate 11 thus"equipped with its resilient edge, is of propersize t'o'fit snugly the opening of the dome 7 of tl10Cl6Sl{ standiand wh'eii'this isplaced iii'position it is held by the screw 131"'passing' through it into the The bottom plate=11f with its edge 12 is sim1la-r'oii lioth'sides, and it is'im'material which side is placed"\vithiiiand which without. By this method Ofl11Stiill111g"i3ll6 resilient washer '12,

it is securely held.

' 'Having" thus desci'ibed'my invention, 'What I claim-as 'newand desire to 'protectuby United'States Letters Patent is:

1; In a telephone desk stand, a tubular shaft, a cap piecethreadcd: upon saidshaft, a hook-supporting cross member in said cap and'locked bythe engagement therewith of the end of said shaft, substantially as de- 2.= In a telephone desk stand, a tubular 'sha-ft, a cap piece threadeduponsaid shaft, ahook supporting cylindrical member cross "ing said cap piece and having'flattened faces, 1Il'CllOCl 6(lby the engagement of the end of said tubular shaft with said flattened faces, substantially as described.

3. In a telephone desk stand, a pivoted hook lever and reciprocating link connected therewith; an electrical switching spring having a perforation near its movable end, said link passing through said perforation; a projecting edge upon said spring at said perforation, said projection having notches cut therein and a nut threaded upon said link and engagingsaid projecting edge, the tension of said spring belng such as to press said edge against said nut, and said nut having projections engaging the notches of said projecting edge, substantially as described.

4. In a telephone desk stand, a pivoted hook lever and reciprocating link connected therewith; an electrical switching spring having a perforation near its movable end and said link passing through said perforation; a nut threaded upon said link and lying partly within said perforation and connecting said link and said switching spring, said switching spring having a tension pressing against said nut and said nut and spring having corresponding projections and recesses which, by mutual engagement, tend to prevent rotation of said nut upon said link, substantially as described.

5. In a telephone desk stand, a pivoted hook lever and reciprocating link connected therewith; an electrical switching spring having a perforation near its movable end and said link passing through said perforation; a nut-threaded upon said link and lying partly within said perforation and connecting said link and said switching spring, said switching spring having a tension pressing against said nut and said nut and spring having interlocking faces preventing rotation of said nut, substantially as described.

6. In a telephone desk stand, a pivoted hook lever and reciprocating link connected therewith; and an electrical switch comprising a set of springs, one of which is longer than the remaining spring, said longer spring being perforated in its extending portion and said link passing through said perforation; a shouldered nut threaded upon said link and lying partly within the perforation of said spring, said spring having a tension to press the engaging faces together; and interlocking projections on the faces thus engaged to prevent rotation of said nut upon said link, substantially as described.

7. In a telephone desk stand, a base dome; a bottom plate; an annular cushion member slotted in its inner periphery, the periphery of said bottom plate resting in the slot and said cushion member projecting below the bottom plane of said base dome, substantially as described.

8. In a telephone desk stand, a base dome; a disk bottom plate; a grooved resilient cushion member engaging with its groove the edge of said bottom plate and resting partially within said base dome, substantially as described.

Signed by me at Chicago, county of Cook and State of Illinois, in the presence of two witnesses.

JULES A. BIRSFIELD.

Witnesses:

DAVID S. HULFISH, HARRIET L. SMITH. 

